A. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a fabric washer, and more particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a washer for utilizing a washing liquid for washing a continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material having a total surface area and a tension and for maximizing exposure of the total surface area of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to the washing liquid by ballooning the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material while minimizing and keeping constant the tension of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to thereby provide a more effective wash of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material.
B. Description of the Prior Art
A continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material needs to be cleaned in a continuous manner before and after dyeing, scouring, bleaching, and resin finishing, etc. Thus, there exists a need for a washer for utilizing a washing liquid for washing a continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material having a total surface area and a tension and for maximizing exposure of the total surface area of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to the washing liquid by ballooning the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material while minimizing and keeping constant the tension of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to thereby provide a more effective wash of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material.
Numerous innovations for fabric processing devices have been provided in the prior art, which will be described below in chronological order to show advancement in the art, and which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, nevertheless, they differ from the embodiments of the present invention in that they do not teach a washer for utilizing a washing liquid for washing a continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material having a total surface area and a tension and for maximizing exposure of the total surface area of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to the washing liquid by ballooning the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material while minimizing and keeping constant the tension of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to thereby provide a more effective wash of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material.
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,528 to Redman.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,528—issued to Redman on May 20, 1952 in U.S. class 26 and subclass 55—teaches an apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric that has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric. The apparatus includes apparatus for moving the tubular knitted fabric lengthwise through a treatment zone while affording lengthwise freedom of the fabric, apparatus within the zone for internally expanding the tubular fabric widthwise to effect lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, and fabric-handling apparatus permitting the fabric to relax so as to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches subsequently to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.
(2) U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,616 to Cohn et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,616—issued to Cohn et al. On Sep. 21, 1965 in U.S. class 117 and subclass 7—teaches an apparatus for treating tubular knitted fabric. The apparatus includes apparatus for laterally distending the tubular fabric to a flat form and a predetermined uniform width, a first resilient treating roller positioned intermediately adjacent the discharge end of the distending apparatus for establishing full-fabric-width dimension control contact between the fabric and the first treating roller substantially immediately as the spread fabric leaves the spreading apparatus, and a second resilient treating roller positioned generally below and forward of the first treating roller and forming therewith a resilient extracting nip through which the fabric is directed. The second treating roller has an upper surface portion positioned for full-fabric-width dimension control contact with the fabric. A third resilient treating roller is positioned generally above and forward of the second treating roller, and forms therewith, a resilient padding nip. Apparatus drives the treating rollers in a manner to achieve substantially equal peripheral speeds. Sealing plates engage end portions of the treating rollers so as to form a reservoir for maintaining a continuous bath of treating solution extending from the extracting nip to the packing nip. One side of each of the nips are exposed directly to the treating solution bath. The upper surface portion of the second treating roller forms the bottom of the reservoir.
(3) U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,140 to Sando et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,140—issued to Sando et al. on Jan. 8, 1980 in U.S. class 68 and subclass 5 E—teaches an apparatus for cleaning cloth with steam and liquid flow. A cloth, such as a textile, knitted fabrics, or a tubular knitted material, is supplied into a chamber containing wet heat of about 105° to 110° C., then it is made to advance in a left and right zigzag manner. The cloth is contacted with a cleaning liquid flowing down from the upper part of the chamber.
(4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,694 to Itoh et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,694—issued to Itoh et al. on Aug. 25, 1981 in U.S. class 8 and subclass 532—teaches a cold-padding and batch-dyeing process for a tubular knitted fabric. The process includes the steps of feeding the fabric into a padding tank, subjecting the fabric to air inflating, blowing compressed air into the fabric to expand the fabric into the fabric's original tubular shape, squeezing the fabric at a squeezing rate of 95 to 120% by passing the fabric between a pair of mangles each having a layer of rubber having a Shore hardness of 55 to 70, and leaving the fabric for ageing over a period of at least four hours. The length of time between entry of the fabric into the padding tank and the fabric's departure from the mangles is controlled to 10 to 20 seconds.
(5) U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,669 to Koch et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,669—issued to Koch et al. on Jul. 4, 1989 in U.S. class 8 and subclass 151—teaches wet processing, in particular, of knitted tubular material in the broad tubular state, which in a first processing section is led through a fluid bath then inflated to form a balloon section and afterwards led in the broad tubular state through the gap between a pair of squeezer rollers. Within the fluid bath, the incoming material in hank form is subjected to twist sensing, and if any twist is detected, the incoming tubular material is rotated in the region before the first processing section to undo the twist. The completely and stably relaxed and untwisted tubular material leaves this first processing section in a stable broad tubular state and can then be passed in an optimum manner through the succeeding principal processing sections.
(6) U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,208 to Catallo.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,208—issued to Catallo on Sep. 10, 1991 in U.S. class 8 and subclass 151—teaches an extractor wherein tubular knitted fabric is ballooned, prior to the extraction of, usually water from the fabric, in an arrangement that includes a nip formed by two rolls. A tubular knit fabric additive-applying mechanism is formed by providing a reservoir having these two rolls and sealing or dam members disposed at each of the opposite ends of the above-mentioned rolls. A single drive is provided one roll and functions to drive the second roll and a third roll disposed to form a nip with the second roll to extract excess additive from the fabric as it passes through the last-mentioned nip. A method of applying an additive to a tubular knitted fabric moving the fabric through a nip to extract liquid therefrom and then immediately subjecting the fabric to an application of additive and immediately following this application by subjecting the fabric to the removal of the additive in a second nip.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for fabric processing devices have been provided in the prior art, which are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, nevertheless, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the embodiments of the present invention as heretofore described, namely, a washer for utilizing a washing liquid for washing a continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material having a total surface area and a tension and for maximizing exposure of the total surface area of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to the washing liquid by ballooning the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material while minimizing and keeping constant the tension of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material to thereby provide a more effective wash of the continuous piece of tubular knitted fabric material.